1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic commerce enabling system, and in particular to a system that provides voucher dispensing and redeeming by voicemail.
2. Description of the Related Art
Mobile network operators are seeking to provide more and more services through the existing mobile network. A commonly discussed application is mobile-commerce (hereinafter referred to as, “m-commerce”), which refers to the use of the mobile phone as a tool for undertaking financial transactions, replacing or working in conjunction with another payment solutions, such as credit cards. A specific usage case in m-commerce is granting and redeeming vouchers, such as coupons, tickets, or proofs-of-purchase, via the mobile phone. However, voucher solutions that have been proposed so far require subscribers to master new and unfamiliar processes, or require modifications or new capabilities in the handsets or network. For instance, using the Infrared interface on the handset requires the subscriber to learn how to align the handset with an IR interface positioned on the relevant Point Of Sale (POS) and transmit/receive a voucher message.
An example of a current technology dealing with this field is Regisoft (http://www.regisoft.com/—RegiSoft Corp., 11 Penn Plaza, Fifth Floor, New York, N.Y. 10001, USA.). Regisoft provides e-Voucher and e-Coupon technology for e-Coupon and e-Voucher Dispensing. The Regisoft system enables vendors to design individual or bulk coupons easily on desktop computers, and distribute these coupons/vouchers, in text form, to consumers' Internet-enabled and cellular devices, such that the coupons are redeemable at web sites and brick-and-mortar locations. Accordingly, vendors may create promotional incentives and revenue generators for distribution via Internet-enabled and cellular devices. As such, a vendor may determine the overall policies of an e-Coupon, thereby transmitting direct value-added services to consumers' communications devices. The Regisoft service requires advanced capabilities in the handset, which may not be available, requiring the subscriber perhaps to purchase a new handset, and which require the subscriber to learn new facilities and new methods of interaction. These capabilities, or other new capabilities, are required in order to supply a framework for handling the two-way interaction between the subscriber and the voucher system. Furthermore, this service is not based on processes familiar to subscribers, therefore it requires significant education and training. For example, when using IR, the user is required to learn how to point the handset at an IR device at the POS and operate some sequence of commands in order to send the voucher.
There is thus a widely recognized need for, and it would be highly advantageous to have, a system that can enable the user friendly creation, distribution and usage of digital coupons and vouchers, in both text and multimedia formats using existing standards of cellular phone hardware and software, and of mobile communications infrastructure.
There is a further need for a system that would enable cellular phone users to utilize the voice capability of their devices to activate mobile-commerce activities and transactions.